US, Taiwan Discuss Trade Facilitation, Regulatory Practices at Talks in Taipei: USTR

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States and Taiwan held a four-day negotiating round in Taipei to discuss trade facilitation and good regulatory practices, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) said on Tuesday.

The negotiating round for the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade took place from January 14-17.

"The two sides exchanged views on proposed texts covering trade facilitation, anticorruption, small and medium-sized enterprises, good regulatory practices, and services domestic regulation. Officials also reached consensus in a number of areas and pledged to maintain an ambitious negotiating schedule in the months ahead to continue this momentum," the USTR said in a statement.

The USTR and Assistant US Trade Representative Terry McCartin led the US delegation. The delegation also included officials from the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the US Agency for International Development.

The meeting was held under the auspices of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO).

In August 2022, China suspended negotiations with the United States in a number of areas after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. China condemned Pelosi's trip in the strongest terms, saying it was a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of Taiwan.